Undergraduate Level Modules in Audiology

Expand your horizons

We offer several modules from final year of our award-winning BSc programme to external applicants. This page provides general information about the modules. Please see our other page for module-specific aims and learning outcomes. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Overview

These modules provide exciting opportunities to share and build on your prior knowledge and experience in audiology in order to develop your skills as an independent, critical and reflective practioner. The learning style, and range of learning activities, has developed specifically to be relevant to realistic clinical contexts while providing the support, resources and intellectual freedom of an academic institution.

Each module is associated with 10 CATs points (5 ECTS points) at Bachelor’s Level H, corresponding to up to 100 hours of study time, and runs over two weeks. External applicants will study alongside internal final year BSc students.

Do the modules suit your learning needs?

These modules are available to audiologists, or related professionals, in the UK, EU or overseas. They are suitable for UK audiologists in band 5 or above, or equivalent.

They are particularly relevant to audiologists who entered via the old-style “BAAT” training route and intend to enter the Higher Training Scheme but require, or prefer, Bachelor’s level study as a pre-requisite to Master’s level study. For example, these modules will help bridge the gap between previous non-graduate study and Master’s level study, as well as helping to build your confidence.

See our other page for an overview of the range of programmes and short courses we offer.

General aim

The modules have the common principal aim of developing key transferable skills in problem solving, critical and analytical thinking, collaborative working, evidence-based patient-centred practice, reflective practice and scientific communication. It is not the intention of these modules to provide clinical training in practical skills related to carrying out specific clinical procedures or interventions.

Each module has an individual topic, see below. Nevertheless, the nature of the tasks in all modules emphasise the importance of integration a broad range of issues, from fundamental science to clinical science to healthcare and public health issues to the views and values of stakeholders. The modules utilise ‘problem-based learning’, as with the Master’s Level modules we offer. This approach helps encourage consideration of the “big picture” as opposed to just focussing on a narrow range of discipline-specific issues.

See our other page for module-specific information.

General learning outcomes

Having successfully completed the module, you will have skills in:
Integration of knowledge across disciplines, such as fundamental science, clinical science, public health and health care provision
Searching for, synthesis of and the critical evaluation of data from various sources, including research literature
Problem solving and collaborative working in small groups
Critical evaluation of complex scenarios, such as individual patient pathways or service-level health care provision
Scientific communication, such as through the preparation of written reports and spoken presentations
Reflective practice and self motivation of lifelong learning

Learning style: problem-based learning

At the beginning of the module you will be allocated to a team of up to 9 learners. Your team will be set a task, or series of tasks, to complete across the module. These usually require the formulation of an argument, such as for the development of a new service, for a patient care pathway or for a health-care strategy. Your team will take ownership of the direction, planning and progress of the task, within the constraints explicit in the brief. For example, as member of the team, you will identify the issues that need to be addressed and the information required; you will search for, obtain and analyse the information; you will critically evaluate the information brought to the team; you will develop the arguments and present them in the form of written reports or presentations. Specific tasks will be delegated to individuals by the team, such as to collect, analyse and write-up information on specific issues.

Each team will be allocated a member of the teaching staff (a ‘facilitator’) who will meet regularly with the team to facilitate the team work where necessary and to provide feedback where relevant. Your ideas, approach and progress will be stimulated by several other short activities, such as plenary sessions, seminars and workshops, as relevant to the specific module. The module culminates in the submission of a written report and, in some cases, a verbal presentation.

Following the completion of the team work, you will develop an individual reflective account on your learning experiences, for example in the context of the effectiveness of the team work or your professional/personal development.

Your study is supported by extensive resources, such as libraries, computer workstations, electronic search engines, electronic database/journal subscriptions and electronic discussion boards.

The modules and timetable for 2011/12

All modules are run across two weeks; these modules are optional to internal BSc students and require a minimum of six students/delegates to run.

Timetable of modules
Module	Module co-ordinator	Weeks commencing
Counselling Skills in the assessment and management of Audiological Disorders	Emma Mackenzie	24th October and 21st November 2011
Advanced Paediatric Audiology	Dr Carl Verschuur	24th October and 21st November 2011
Management in the NHS	Dr Gary Farrell	24th October and 21st November 2011
The Ideal Hearing Aid	Dr Ben Lineton	30th January and 20th February 2012
Epidemiology, Screening and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss	Prof Mark Lutman	30th January and 20th February 2012
Management of Dizzy and Tinnitus Patients	Emma Mackenzie	30th January and 20th February 2012

Contact time

The modules consist of approximately 10 hours of formal contact time with up to 90 hours of additional study. Delegates are expected to be able to attend the University for the planned sessions, including the facilitated sessions. Facilities are available for communication with the team from outside the University at other times, such as through online discussion boards, and for access to other online resources externally, including bibliographical databases and journals.

The specific timetable differs across modules and across years (as the tasks are modified each year according to trends in current practice and research). All modules share an introductory session on the morning of the first week and a plenary/peer review session on the Friday of the second week. At least 2 facilitated sessions are available per week. All team work is submitted within the two weeks; the individual reflective account is submitted within one week after the end of the module.

Feedback and assessment

Feedback will be provided to you in the form of:
- Tutorial assistance from the group facilitator as required or requested
- Discussion during facilitated sessions and other group sessions
- Peer review of work
- Feedback from the module co-ordinator on the team work and your individual reflective account, as necessary and appropriate

Your work is assessed in the following ways:

In modules including a spoken presentation, the team written report(s) counts for 70% of the module mark; otherwise, the report counts for 80 % of the module mark
The team spoken presentation, if relevant, counts for 10% of the module mark
At the end of each module, your contribution in a range of areas will be rated by all members of the team. This is used to obtained your individual mark from the team report(s) and presentation
Your individual reflective account counts towards 20 % of the module mark

These are assessed, and moderated, according to normal University procedure.

Cost

For the 2011/12 academic year, the price will be £499 per module. The price includes use of all university learning resources during the module, and gaps within or between modules, (including computers, online resources and subscriptions, libraries etc) and administration fees.

The price does not include residential costs or costs for food and transport etc. Short stay accommodation information can be obtained from the Accommodation Office; the department cannot take responsibility for the provision of the accommodation or related facilities.

How to apply

Please contact us for an application form and to send us your CV. Applications will be assessed by individual module co-ordinators to determine whether applicants have the appropriate pre-requisites, such as in terms of prior learning and experience.

Audiology